WIND CHILL. IT'S THE GUAGE FOR HOW BRUTAL A WINTER DAY WILL BE. ON THE OPEN WATERS OF THE GREAT LAKES, IT POSES AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THREAT. NOW, IN 12 NEWS CHRIS GLONINGER'S ON ASSIGNMENT REPORT, WE GET A LOOK AT THE DANGERS AND DAILY LIFE STRUGGLES ABOARD THE COAST GUARD ICEBREAKERS, WORKING TO KEEP US SAFE. THE PORT OF SAINT IGNES AWAKENS IN A GLEAM OF LIGHT. AS DAWN BREAKS WE EMBARK ON A MISSION WITH THE CREW OF THE ICEBREAKER MACKINAW. NATS PHOTOJOURNALIST BRADY HEADINGTON AND I ARE IN FOR A LONG DAY, BUT NOTHING COMPARED WITH THE 60 DAYS THE COAST GUARD CREW, HAS ALREADY SPENT ON THE ICE. WORKING ROUND THE CLOCK. NATS LT. KATIE BRAYNARD SAYS REST DOESN'T COME EASILY ON THIS VESSEL .... IF WE BREAK ICE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT I COULD PROBABLY GET 3 TO 4 HOURS OF SLEEP - IF WE STOP FOR THE NIGHT, I AM LUCK TO GET 7. SHE TAKES US DOWN THE 70 STAIRS TO WHERE SHE SHARES ATHIS DORM LIKE ROOM WITH LT. ERIN NOLAN. I TRY TO TELL MY FAMILY WHAT I DO, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY IDEA. THEY'D HAVE TO GET OUT HERE TO EXPERIENCE IT TO REALLY KNOW WHAT WE DO. DECORATING THE SMALL ROOM PROVES TO BE A CHALLENGE. IF IT'S NOT BOLTED DOWNWELL, GOOD LUCK! THE BOOK FELL OFF ONTO THE COMPUTER ONTO A GLASS OF ORANGE JUICE. THE ORANGE JUICE WENT EVERYWHERE AND EVERYTHING FLOODED! THEY JOKE THAT IT ALL HAPPENS IN SLOW MOTION. YOU WANT TO HELP THE PROCESS BY SWINGING YOUR ARMS AROUND. IT'S LIKE SEEING IT HAPPENING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. TODAY'S CONDITIONS SEEM NORMAL TO THE CREW. THEY'VE SEEN WORSE. CAPTURED ON THIS GOPRO VIDEO THEY SHOT IN GEORGIAN BAY. THE BAY WAS LARGELY ICE FREE, BUT WAVES TOSSED THE BREAKER AROUND LIKE A CHILDS TOY IN A BATH TUBWAVES CRASHED OVER THE BOW AND WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW FREEZINGTHAT SPRAY INSTANTLY FROZEON EVERYTHING. THIS TWO HUNDRED FORTY FOOT VESSEL AND ITS 58 CREW MEMBERS FACE EVERY OBSTACLE TOGETHER. WE ALL HAVE A JOB TO DO AND WE KNOW THAT GOING INTO IT, PUSH THROUGH IT. WISCONSIN NATIVE, BLAKE RAUSCH SAYS THE MACKINAW MAY SEEM LIKE A FLOATING CITY, BUT SPACE IS AN ISSUE. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON A LONG CAR RIDE WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE BEING ON A 30 DAY ROAD TRIP STUCK WITH YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE SAME CAR. WE'RE ALL A FAMILY ON BOARD AND YOU GET THROUGH IT. WHEN WE VENTURE TOPSIDE AIR TEMPS THROUGH IT. WHEN WE VENTURE TOPSIDE AIR TEMPS ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. NATS OF WIND AND COLD WE ARE ALL BUNDLED TO MAKE SURE EVERY INCH OF SKIN IS COVERED. WINDS HOWLING AT 30 MILES PER HOUR AND IT FEELS LIKE TWENTY DEGREES BELOW ZERO. NATS CREW MEMBERS WHO WORK TOPSIDE, OUTSIDE - WORK IN 10 MINUTE SHIFTS TO KEEP FROSTBITE AT BAY. THE SUNNY DAY EVAPORATES AS CLOUDS ROLL IN AND VISIBILITY DROPS. SNOW SQUALLS CREATE FOG. THERE'S NO SEPARATION BETWEEN SKY AND ICE ... FOR THE CREW - THESE CONDITIONS ARE TYPICAL, FOR US.. DISORIENTING. 2882 27:41 - 27:49 THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE STRAITS SO CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE ICE AND WIND YOU COULD EASILY GET INTO TROUBLE. WE PULL UP ALONG SIDE THE ALGOSTEEL NATS OF YELLING ORDERS THE MOOD ON THE BRIDGE IS TENSE AS CAPTAIN MICHAEL DAVANZO DIRECTS THE CREW .... CHISELING THROUGH THE ICE, DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE GIANT FREIGHTER THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SHIP, WE CAN DO A LOT, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTIONAL WASH THAT WE ARE ABLE TO USE TO MOVE WATER, THE SHEAR AMOUNT OF ICE WE ARE ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH. A TRIBUTE TO THE SHEAR DETERMINATION OF THE CREW. CHARTING THE COURSE, MONITORING COMPUTER DISPLAYS. AND NAVIGATING THE ICY WATERS IT TOOK AN HOUR AND A HALF TO FREE THE FREIGHTER. BUT THE DAY IS FAR FROM OVER. 2882 26:49 -27:09 WHAT TYPE OF TROUBLE CAN A FREIGHTER GET INTO IF THEY'RE OUT HERE? A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IS POTENTIALLY GROUNDING. WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF YOU GET CAUGHT IN THE ICE AND THE WIND SHIFTS YOU CAN GET SET. 2882 27:20 - 27:30 IN THE RIVER IF YOU GET STUCK YOU ARE PRETTY MUCH STUCK IN THE TRACK, YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO DRIFT INTO DANGER. UP HERE, MORE THAN ANYWHERE, YOU RUN THE RISK OF RUNNING INTO DANGER. THIS CREW WILL SPEND 8 MORE HOURS LEADING THE FREIGHTER THROUGH THE DANGERS OF NEARLY 40 MILES OF ICE TO OPEN WATER. IT'S A MISSION TO BRING 25 THOUSAND TONS OF SALT TO OUR PORT, TO INSURE OUR JOURNEYS ARE SAFE. 2883 34:34 - 34:48 THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR IS TO GET THEM ACROSS SAFELY...SO THEY GET THE ROAD SALT AND THAT KEEPS EVERYONE SAFE. PHOTOJOURNALIST BRADY HEADINGTON AND I SPENT ALMOST 18 HOURS WITH THE COAST GUARD CREW. THAT DAY, THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 20 BELOW WITH THE WIND CHILL. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE LIMITED TO TEN MINUTE SHIFTS OUTSIDE. THE WIND IS THEIR ENEMY FOR ANOTHER REASON. YES. EVEN JUST A 30 MILE AN HOUR WIND IS CAPABLE OF PUSHING ONE OF THOSE FREIGHTERS OFF THE ICE. THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN YOU SEE HOW HUGE THEY ARE. IT IS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE. THOSE FREIGHTERS-- WITH THEIR LOAD OF SALT --WEIGH OVER 40 THOUSAND TONS. SO IT'S FAIR TO SAY THOSE CREWS ARE FACING DOWN DANGER EVERY DAY THEY WORK THE MACKINAC STRAITS. WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO CAPTURE. THANKS.